Selling many study drugs at college could end your education

Getting an undergrad degree can seem like an endurance sport, especially when you try to make it through finals week. From oral presentations and essays to massive exams, the end of a semester is often crunch time for college students.

If you have a prescription for ADHD medication like Ritalin or Adderall, especially if you no longer need it to study yourself, it may seem entrepreneurial to sell your unused medication to your classmates, many of whom will likely pay a premium for the ability to stay up all night to finish that big paper or cram for a test.

Unfortunately, if you get caught or if someone else gets caught with your medication in their possession, you can find yourself facing serious criminal charges, such as drug trafficking. You could face academic consequences as well.

Louisiana does not take kindly to students distributing medication

Adderall, Ritalin and most other prescription medication are controlled substances which means that they are only legal to possess with the prescription of a physician. Many stimulants, like Adderall, are Schedule II drugs. A Schedule II classification means there’s a risk of abuse or addiction, as well as the potential for injury because the drug itself is dangerous in some cases.

Under Lousiana state law and federal law, those who dispense controlled substances to others can face jail time, with the severity of the charges and penalties involved stemming from the weight of the drug in most cases.

Secondary consequences can be as bad as criminal ones

Some students might think that pleading guilty will allow them to move on with their life and their education after getting caught selling their prescription medication. However, especially if the infraction happened on campus, you will likely also face disciplinary effort by the school itself. You may lose your enrollment or your financial aid.

Private scholarships also often have rules that preclude payments to those with certain criminal convictions, including drug charges. Even if that weren’t the case, you could lose your federal student aid with a conviction, as any drug conviction can preclude someone from getting subsidized loans, federal grants and other forms of federal student aid.

Defending yourself against allegations of drug trafficking while in college will protect your future and the investment you’ve made so far in your education.